Panasonic's New EVOLTA Batteries Last Longest

It sure LOOKS long!Note to Energizer Bunny: Be afraid... be VERY afraid! Panasonic's newEVOLTA batteries have raised the bar by which all other batteries are judged. Does a best-before date of up to 10 years light your lamp? It will - at a time when other batteries are just dead weight.

This is shocking, er, exciting news for anyone who stores away flashlights, radios or other emergency electric or electronic devices and expects them to work when they're finally called upon.

The hype about EVOLTA is not just hot air, and Panasonic stressed that point by staging a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, January 15. Representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records officially certified EVOLTA as the "world's longest-lasting AA alkaline battery cell". Being Japan, the event also featured cute girls and smiling robots (or is that cute robots and smiling girls?), on hand to celebrate EVOLTA in style!

EVOLTA robot, held by Japanese robot designer Tomotake TakahashiOK, let's crunch the numbers... the 10-year shelf life is double that of Panasonic's best existing alkaline batteries. As well, EVOLTA batteries "will keep gadgets running 20 per cent longer than offerings from rivals Duracell and Energizer," according to a Panasonic spokesperson.

EVOLTA AA batteries are the first such batteries to be recognized by Guinness World Records, based on data obtained from discharge tests Panasonic conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and measured against ANSI, IEC and JIS standards.

The cost to own the best batteries? Around US$5.40 for a pack of four, which is about 15 percent higher than regular batteries and slightly more pricey than Panasonic's own top-of-the-line Oxyride brand. EVOLTA batteries will go on sale in Japan from April 26, 2008 and are expected to be available for retail sale in the U.S. later this year. (via Canadian Press) (Update: EVOLTA batteries are now available in the U.S. at Amazon here and at many other retailers.)